Ganja jail Drug dealer made €4.2 million selling cannabis-laced sweets

A drug dealer who was jailed for nine years for operating a makeshift factory creating cannabis-laced boiled sweets claimed he only sold them to cancer victims.

Ryan Dobson (54) produced the professionally packaged tins of cubed confectionery in his kitchen and garage at his home in Dunmow, Essex.

It is estimated that he could have made as much as £4 million (€4.2m) from his enterprise.

Dobson, who pleaded guilty to drugs and weapon offences, was jailed for nine years on Thursday at Snaresbrook Crown Court after the judge rejected his claim that he only sold the cannabis to cancer sufferers.

Detective Inspector Niall McSheffrey said: "Dobson had established a lucrative drugs factory, which could have caused significant harm to children.

"He converted boiled sweets into cannabis-laced sweets and an adult or young person would not have known the difference.

"Dobson claimed to be selling the cannabis for medicinal purposes to help ease the pain of cancer patients.

"However, he has no medical training and the cannabis seized was illegal. He was purely selling the cannabis products for financial gain.

"This conviction and the seizure of these illegal products represents the Met's commitment to tackle all safeguarding issues and bring those involved in the manufacture and supply of drugs to justice."

Detectives also found a small amount of cocaine, two stun guns and two encrypted ‘Encrochat’ mobile phones at Dobson's home.

Dobson, of Church Lane, pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying a Class B drug, possession with intent to supply a Class B drug, producing a Class B drug, importation of a Class B drug, possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of a weapon for the discharge of an electrical current to stun and incapacitate, and possession of a Class A drug.

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Online Editors